Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing Mythological Narratives

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students compose a creative writing piece based on a painting of a mythological scene. For this creative writing lesson,  students write about the scene in the painting and tie in  their original stories into tales from the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oral Assessment Plan

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars practice active listening skills.  In this literacy and U.S. history lesson, students predict the hardships pioneers using the Mormon Trail might have faced. Young scholars view the movie "Children of the Wagon...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oceans: A Sensory Haiku

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students create an ocean haiku. In this haiku instructional activity, students use their five senses to write a haiku. Students watch videos about the ocean, make a sensory portrait, and create a class haiku.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Descriptive Verbs

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students read a piece of literature and locate the descriptive verbs in the piece. For this descriptive verbs lesson, students understand the value of using descriptive verbs. Students rewrite a story they've written with more...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Monoprints With Markers

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students make prints without a printing press. In this printmaking lesson, students make a monoprint by drawing a picture with washable markers, briefly submerging the paper under water, and pressing it onto a new sheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Inuit Family: A study of its history, beliefs, and images

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners study the Inuit in terms of their geographic location and its influence on their way of life. They investigate Inuit imagery as a reflection of their belief system and focus on the objects of the Inuit to introduce...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Built Environment-An Integrating Theme

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students observe, record, and present knowledge of their local built environment while conducting a walking tour of their community. They develop written and photo journals, drawings, time lines, graphs, and charts to engage in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DRYWALL CARVING

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students study relief sculpture and architectural elements, discuss Egyptian hieroglyphics and relief sculptures that can be seen on Roman and Greek structures, and create a relief sculpture using drywall.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Traditional Japanese Dance

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars study introductory history and cultural purposes of selected Japanese dance forms. They analyze the philosophical beliefs, social systems, and movement norms that influence the function and role of Japanese dance in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transforming Negatives to Positives

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students write diamonte poems that correspond to the double-exposed photograph they created.  In this poetry and multimedia artwork lesson, students use the photographic process to create a double-exposed photo then create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Fiction and Nonfiction

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders compare and contrast an informational article with a fictional story. They read the story "The Contest" as a class, and discuss the different types of literature genres. Next, they complete a vocabulary worksheet and a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drama: Working Together

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Learners participate in a host of activities designed to encourage creativity, collaboration, and cooperation. They experience walking in different ways, greeting various types of people, and mirroring, where one student duplicates the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

-Body in Motion - Axial and Locomotor

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students practice increasing their movement and dance vocabulary through axial motion and locomotor step skill-building. They work with a partner and create and perform short sequences utilizing the vocabulary their practicing. Each...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction to Opera: The Emperor's New Clothes

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders are introduced to opera, its vocabulary, definitions and are given an opportunity to listen to an opera sung by children. They identify phrases and events in the story, "The Emperor's New Clothes." Each student creates a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folk Music

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore Folk Music in Iowa. For this folk music lesson, students discuss different types of folk music and how it relates to life in Iowa. They take the tune of a song and write their own lyrics to describe their life. 
Lesson Plan
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How is Chess Played?

For Teachers K - 12th
Students discover how to play chess. In this how is chess played lesson, students examine the rules, vocabulary, and tactics of the game of chess. 
Lesson Plan
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The Important Thing About Technology

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students assess the advantages of modern technology tools by creating a page in a class book utilizing pattern writing as well as the writing process. They organize and develop a composition on a selected topic after going through the...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

We're off to see the Wizard!

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students explore the process of play and movie making from books. They study the basic elements of drama and write and produce a play based on a chosen theme. Students explain the basic elements of a play by looking at "The Wonderful...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kindness Graffiti Wall

For Teachers K - 5th
Students discuss acts of kindness. In this character education lesson, students use a large sheet of poster paper, tempera paint, and markers to create a graffiti wall. Students write down their ideas of kindness and share their wall...
Lesson Plan
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Legends Old and New

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students listen to a Native American legend and discuss the basic elements of story. In small groups they read and analyze more legends from books and Websites. Then they compose and present an original legend.
Lesson Plan
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Do They Agree?

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders review and practice subject-verb agreement by cutting and pasting, and by writing a simple paragraph in which the subjects and verbs agree. They utilize worksheets imbedded in this plan to practice subject-verb agreement.
Lesson Plan
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Scaling the Blues

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Young scholars identify musical characteristics of blues music and define the term 'scale.' They identify chromatic, major, pentatonic, and blues scales and label each key on a keyboard using letter names, sharps and flats.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music Technology: Adding a Voice to a Cartoon

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students add their voice to a cartoon character and review sound waves using music technology software. They record specific information into the computer using a microphone and import their voice into the Flash program and apply it to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Digital Poetry Books

For Teachers 3rd - 9th
Learners, after reviewing the writing process and assessing how to use a digital camera to take creative photos, create a Digital Poetry Book. They incorporate the use of Microsoft Photo Draw and Publisher for the creation of their...